Summer houses | Summer House Essential Facts! FREE Advice!

Summer Houses

Summer houses are an easy, cost effective way of increasing the space that your family has to enjoy in your current house. They can transform your garden and give you more rooms to entertain. It can be a quiet place of solitude away from the house, a dining room in the warmer months or a focal point for summer barbeques and outdoor parties.

What are the benefits of a Summer house?

A summer house can give you more space and is perfect as a relaxing room away from the bustle of the house to enjoy a good book or transform into a crafts room. The biggest benefit of a summer house over an extension is the cost: they are an inexpensive answer to space problems and will still increase the value of your property. In most cases, unlike extensions and some conservatories, if a summer house is for domestic use and you do not reside in a listed building or conservation area you will not need planning permission. There are also no building regulations to meet. Building a summer house is a relatively cheap and easy job and therefore can be embarked upon as a rewarding DIY project to improve your home.

Where should I put my summer house?

When deciding where to erect your summer house and how big to make it, it is important to look at the space available and think what would fit in with your current garden, aesthetically where would it look the best and where would it make the most of natural sunlight. Having a clear space on all sides for maintenance and installation is preferred although not always possible. It is a good idea to put your summer house in a sheltered area within your garden.

Do I need to lay a base for my summer house?

Your summer house will need a substantial, solid, flat base. This can be created with paving slabs or concrete. Concrete is more expensive and more permanent and therefore suitable for larger summerhouses, while using paving slabs is more cost-effective for smaller summer houses. Taking the time and care to lay good foundations is crucial to the process of building your summer house so don’t cut corners.

How do I assemble my summer house?

Some summer house orders will include installation so you needn’t worry, but if you are keen on a DIY project a summer house could be a good option for you. You only need basic tools: a screwdriver, hammer, power drill, adjustable spanner, spirit lever, a stepladder and a knife. Summerhouse kits usually come with the whole-panels in one piece and provide comprehensive instructions for self-assembly. Once assembled you can easily insulate your summer house with polystyrene or fiberglass insulation. You may wish to consider putting an electricity supply in as well, this will extend the use of your summerhouse and is usually straightforward although you should always get a qualified electrician to carry out electrical work.

Will my summer house require maintenance?

The maintenance that your summer house requires will depend on the material that it is made from. Western red cedar is a popular choice as it has unrivalled durability: it does not shrink, swell or warp in damp weather, is naturally insulating and is saturated with a natural preservative oil that makes it almost immune to decay, this means it needs no maintenance. Other woods can be pressure treated where preservative is forced into the timber under pressure, this is a lifetime treatment as well. If your summer house is not pressure treated timber or western red cedar then you will need to treat the wood with wood stain annually.

A fun DIY project and a value-adding asset, building a summer house is a cheap way of transforming your garden and giving your family more space to enjoy, in the hotter months or all year round.